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Vocabulary Lesson: All

April 9, 2018

It’s a tiny word, but huge in meaning: all. It means everybody. Everyone. All of us.

Have you heard of the denim company 7 For All Mankind? They’d been on my periphery for awhile, but today I checked them out properly. They came to my attention because one of my favorite actors, Matt Bomer, is now modeling for them. Here he is:

When I investigated their products, I wasn’t surprised to see their size ranges for women stop at a Large. I’m very used to most companies leaving millions of dollars on the table because they don’t want to be associated with fat bodies. What I was surprised to see was that they really want me to know how inclusive they are. Here’s some copy from their website:

We celebrate the collective individuality of all people and the expression of mankind’s whole, unique, beautiful self. We are many, but we are one.

Wow! That’s some feel-good stuff right there, eh? Except they don’t mean it, because “all” people come in way more than the small range of sizes that they consider aesthetically pleasing and acceptable. This is NOT “all,” not by a long shot:

It would take more energy than I care to spend if I were to be mad at every fancy-pants (see what I did there?) company that doesn’t want my fat money. But when one of those companies writes a bunch of copy about how they represent all, it gets my blood up.

So, what can we do? Say something. I wrote this post. I tweeted at 7 For All Mankind and at Matt Bomer. Will they notice? Probably not. But if enough of us raise the issue, change can happen. Even if you fit into their limited sizing—actually, especially if you do—speak up. If straight-size folks stand up and say no more, if they refuse to give their money to companies that think I am not part of “all mankind,” then they’ll have to listen.